New

So I added 2 new ornaments to my tree this year that I love.

The first one I bought in Minnesota this summer at The Christmas store. It's from the "Snowbabies" line of ornaments. I think it's hard to see the detail in the photo but it's a little snowbaby sucking it's thumb and holding a blankie. The blankie looks like it might be part of the sculpted ornament but it's soft and cuddly. I fell in love with it as I have had 2 of my own fingersucking, blankie-loving babies.  Mason had just given his blankie away and given up the finger sucking habit along with it when he turned 5 in May.  I bought his 1 month later in June as I was feeling nostalgic about my baby growing up.

This angel was given to me by the stake primary presidency. They gave one to our whole presidency on our last sunday as a presidency. It wasn't that they knew we were going, they are just very, very nice like that and were giving all the primary presidencies a little Christmas gift. We were all released this last Sunday. The ornament was a perfect send-off.  I love stars.   I know she has wings momma but she's so pretty. I love her. I do think she needs eyes however. Just little dot eyes. I may just have to get out my sharpie if my feelings about it become any more compulsive....

We will also add another ornament on Christmas eve. We began a Christmas tradition a few years ago when I made this countdown nativity.  There are little holes where all the numbers are.  The star is on a peg and you move it down the pillar til you get to Christmas day.  We set this out on Dec. 1st and we have a palm-sized glow-in-the-dark star.  I begin by performing a secret act of service for someone and hiding the glow-in-the-dark star under their pillow.  The person who finds the star does a secret act of service for someone and hides the star under their pillow and so on.  After you have done the service you find a time when nobody is around and move the star down the pillar to the next day.  Yes, we have times when the star does not move and I have to remind everyone to look under their pillows and remind them we can not get to Christmas day without the service.  Sometimes the star changes hands 3-4 times in a day if we need to catch up and everyone is actively looking under their pillow throughout the day.  

On Christmas eve, besides the traditional reading of the Christmas story, we talk a little bit about the star and what it represents.  

Some of our thoughts:

The star proclaimed the birth of the King of Kings and was a sign that had been foretold.

There were probably many who did not notice the star or if they noticed did not understand what it meant.  

The wisemen were watching for it.  They knew it when they saw it.  They were prepared to follow it.  

There's a great article in the New era this month about the star that I'll probably incorporate.

We then unveil a new "Star ornament" on Christmas eve and place it on our tree.

This was our first one.  It is olive wood, made in Isreal, and has a tiny nativity carved in the center of the star.

#2

#3

#4?????

I can't decide between these two for this year.  You can help me decide by voting.  The top one has a bronze colored disc in the center.  on one side is a depiction of Mary and Joseph traveling on the donkey and on the other side you see the city of Bethlehem and a tiny wiseman on a camel at the bottom on his journey to see the babe. The words around the disc say "silent night, Holy night" on one side and "all is calm, al is bright" on the other.

What do you think?